The shadows obeyed his call before he could even command them. They rose like tendrils of living smoke, curling around his wrists, his shoulders, until they coalesced into the shape of a sleek black wolf at his side. It growled softly, its amber eyes gleaming as Nyx stepped forward, his boots crunching against the frost-laden grass of the Night Court’s training grounds.
“Again,” he said, his voice steady despite the ache in his muscles. The sparring ring before him glimmered with faint starlight, remnants of his last attempt to combine shadow and light magic.
“I’m not sure what’s more stubborn,” Cassian drawled from the sidelines, arms crossed, his wings flaring slightly, “you or the laws of physics.”
Nyx shot him a grin, sweat plastering dark hair to his forehead. “Guess you’ll just have to stick around and find out.”
The shadows wolf lunged toward the sparring dummy, shifting mid-stride into a blade that pierced the wooden chest with a satisfying crack. A flick of Nyx’s wrist dissolved the construct back into swirling mist, but even as he caught his breath, he sensed someone behind him.